Retaining device for interchangeable magazines of firearms



F615 2e, 1935. F. UNDER 1,992,380

RETAINING DEVICHFOR INTERCHANGEABLE MAGAZINES 0F FIREARMS Filed Nov. 20,1933 aillllll 'Illlllllllll VIII/1,1117.IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIQ PatentedFeb. 26, 1935 imassq RETAINING nE-vron' 1,9z,3'st

FOR GE- j jrtriariehimnaer, Dusseldorf,

ermany, 'assi nor Germany 4 Claims.

In'arms for continuous fire of the type in which a a the ammunition isfed from detachablemagazines, the catch which holds the magazine firmlyin the magazinehousing of the weapon, consists generally of a leverpivoted in the magazine housing, which under the influence of a springengages behind a projection in the magazine which has been thrust orswung into the magazine housing in a condition ready for feeding. Inconsequence of the shaking of the gun during continuous fire, andparticularly when it is fired with depression, the magazine lever is aptto be forced outof its locked position against the influence of thespring releasing the magazine; the operation of the firearm is theninvoluntarily interrupted. If the magazine'retaining spring isstrengthened in order to overcome this drawback, this gives rise toother drawbacks. The feeder springin the magazine whose function it isto cause the platform to release the magazine retaining catch after thelastcartridge has been thrust out, wouldlikewise have to bestrengthcried and this would involve difliculties in charging and alsoin increased frictional resistance to movement of the breech.

According to the present invention, the movable magazine retainingmember, which may be a sliding member or a lever, is bolted in itslocked position by a safety member co-operating with magazineprojections, in such a manner that the magazine retaining membernormally locked by it, on the insertion of a magazine and also when amagazine becomes empty is automaticallyreleased at the proper time formovement into the locking position. a

The drawing shows a typical embodiment of the inventionin horizontalsection through the magazine housing of an automatic firearm.

In the magazine housinga of the gun there is 40 located in known mannertheSmagazine b which is adapted to be thrust in, and from which thecartridges 0, 01 are thrust forward into the path of the breech e by thepressure of the feeder spring d1 which acts on the platform (1. Themagazine is provided on. the right-hand side, as seen in the drawing,with a projection b1, against a a shoulder In of which a magazineretaining latch J, pivotally mounted in the magazine housing about a pinf1, engages under the pressure of a spring 92, which acts on it througha safety lever g pivoted on a pin 91. a 1 I The safety lever g has ashoulder 93 the pro: file of which is curved concentrically to thepivotal axis g1, and bears. against a correspondingly curved shoulder f2on the retaining latch I, thereby bringing it into the locked positionand at the same time looking it against'swinging back. 'I'helocking .isbrought about by the relatively eccentric position of the pivotal axesf1, 91 of the latch ,f and lever g in conjunction with such anarrangement of the bearing surfaces f2, ya

that the action exercised by the retaining latch The safety lever g hasa finger 94 extending in front of the retaining latch f into the path ofthe magazine projections in and platform projection (12, whichprojections co-operate with the retaining latch, to move the safetylever into a position releasing the latch ,f. The retaining latch f isthus released both on the insertion of the magazine when a temporarydisplacement occurs by the action of the magazine projection b1, andalso When, after the last cartridge has been thrust from the magazine,the projection d2 of the platform encounters the finger g4 and tends toswing it out of its locked position for unbolting the magazine. Further,to permit removal of a completely full or partially full magazine, onthe magazine housing there is provided ahandle (not shown in thedrawing) which, when reversed, first transfers the safety lever g intothe position releasing the retaining lever f, and then carries theretaining lever with it.

I claimz- 1. In a firearm comprising a magazine, a magazine housingonthe arm, and mechanismfor retaining the magazine in the housing, thecombination of a projection on the magazine having a retaining shoulder,a latch in the housing movable into and out of retaining engagement withsaid shoulder, a safety member normally locking the latch in itsshoulder retaining position, a follower in said magazine having aprojection, and a finger on the safety member extending into-the pathsof both said projections and cooperating therewith to unlock the latch.

2. In a firearm comprising a magazine, a magazine housing on the arm,and mechanism for retaining the magazine in the housing, the combinationof a projection on the magazine having a retaining shoulder, a latch inthe housing movable into and out of retaining engagement with retainingthe magazine in the housing, the combination of a projection on themagazine having a retaining shoulder, a latch pivoted in the housing formovement into and out of retaining en gagement with said shoulder, asafety member pivoted about an axis spaced from the axis of the latchand having a surface concentric its pivot and bearing on said latch withincreasing pressure when the latch moves to'release with position owingto the spacing of said axes, and

a finger on the safety member extending into the paths of both saidprojections and co-operating therewith to unlock the latch.

4. In a firearm comprising a, magazine, a magazine housing on the arm,and mechanism for retaining the magazine in the housing, the combinationof a projection on the magazine having a retaining-shoulder, a latch inthe housing movvable into and out of retaining engagement with saidshoulder, a safety member normally locking the latch in its shoulderretaining position, a

follower insaid magazine having a projection,

and a finger'on the safety member extending in front of the latch in thedirection of magazine insertion and protruding into the path of bothsaid projections and co-operating therewith to unlock the latch.-

v n FRIEDRICH LINDER.

